Bench Dog 40-001 ProTop Contractor Benchtop Router Table
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List Price: Our Price: $239.99 You Save: $60.00 (20%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Bench Dog 40-001 ProTop Contractor Benchtop Router Table
Customer Review: Great Router table and Price
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this table from Amazon 3 months ago! I spent several months looking at router tables and collecting plans to build my own! Because of these reviews, the features of the table and it's low price, I decided to buy the Bench Dog 40-001. I couldn't buy the materials and fence for the little amount this table cost! I was mildly concerned that I could build a better table, but once this one arrived and I assembled it (took a couple of hours - had no problem leveling the insert etc)I knew I had made the right decision! It is really a quality product and I couldn't have built one that better met my needs.
I will use my Porter Cable 690LR in the table. This router doesn't have variable speed and it spins too fast for some bits and routering processes also! Since I needed an external switch anyway, I bought the Rockler switch which also has variable speed for $40 plus dollars! It works fine with the table and router and I am very happy with everything!
The table works well for many tasks and I have found it to be very adaptable to unusual routing situations. Needing a split fence at times, using a couple of different bolts, I can mount my Shopsmith Shaper Fence on the Bench Dog table which also gives me micro adjustment of one side of the fence! This is very useful! I also really like the fence that comes with the table, but I am very happy to be able to easily switch between the two fences when needed.
I love having the miter track at the very front edge of the table! With some adjusting, my shopsmith miter gauge works fine! I also like the t-mount track on the miter track ...and on the front, back and top of the fence!
The dust port works fine with my dust collector most of the time. Dust does get into the bottom of the cabinet, but that is what it was designed to do ...collect the dust! I will probably add a 4" port by drilling a hole in the back of the cabinet, but the dust down there doesn't bother me! The cabinet is high enough I will one day add a layer of plywood a few inches up from the bottom and store what needs to be stored under it away from the dust.
This is really a great table and I can't imagine finding a better one for the price!
Customer Review: Like a Fine Piece of Furniture
Summary: 5 Stars
There isn't much I can say that the manufacturer of this fine product has not already described, so I will limit this review to my impressions of it's design. I was searching for a quality router table that would accommodate my router without modification, and was capable of handling fairly large work pieces, particularly raised panels for cabinet doors. This table accomplished both wonderfully. The construction of the table is first-rate, utilizing birch plywood for the base and sides. The top employs a thick laminate as opposed to a melamine finish, as used in some lower quality tables. The router is supported on a large sturdy insert, and a metal frame with adjustable gib screws to level the plate to the table. The table comes unassembled, in a well-packed box. The assembly instructions are clear and easy to follow, and it took about 1 hour to put the table together and make all the necessary adjustments. All components that comprise this table are of excellent quality. Overall, this is a fine addition to my shop, and I would not hesitate to recommend this product.Customer Review: benchdog router table
Summary: 5 Stars
this table went together in about 1 hour. all parts where finished well. i had to drill the holes for my trition router but with their template it when well. just wish they would have had a metal plate. but all in all a good table for the money. Customer Review: Good Product
Summary: 5 Stars
Very happy with this purchase. Reasearched several other brands and settled on the Bench Dog. Have used it for multiple jobs and have been very satisfied. Also purchased the switch and mounted in on the right corner below the table. It makes it it easier for operating the router. I have a Porter Cable 6902 Router, it bolts right on!Customer Review: Worth Every Penny
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm no pro, just a handy homeowner. Needed to make a window seat for the Mrs., and needed to do some routing for joinery, trim, and the like. Had the router, (a Freud model) but knew I needed a table. Looked at the usual suspects at Sears, Home Depot, Lowes. All looked way too flimsy, even to my amateur's eye. Saw this table on Amazon, read the mostly glowing reviews, and decided to pony up the dough after assuring my wife that I really needed this to do the job right. Amazon had a deal for the table and a pair of featherboards at a discount, so I ordered both.
Table came within 4 days, even with free shipping. Featherboards were backordered and actually arrived the day I finished the job! The table's packaging was adequate, all the parts were there (with a few extra screws and such) and in pristine condition, the assembly instructions were excellent -- clearly written by someone for whom English is their primary language! Assembly took me exactly 2hrs and 10 minutes -- not counting the drilling I had to do to fit my router to the plate. That was a bit scary, since two of the holes I needed fell very close to some of the pre-drilled ones. But, taking my time, I got it right, leveled and ready to go.
I built a sub-cabinet from an old (heavy) printer stand, then attached locking casters so that the router table top would be on the same plane as my table saw. I can't tell you how useful THAT was! The Bench Dog table is substantial, very good quality materials and engineering. Again, as others have noted, despite Amazon's claim, this table does NOT come with a miter gauge. Squaring the fence is easy, but I am a bit disappointed that both long edges of the top are not square -- the "rear" is slightly rounded, which can be a problem when squaring the fence to that side.
Overall, though, this is a terrific American-made product. I also purchased a Bench Dog power switch -- expensive as switches go, but rock solid and easy to mount (as I did on the right side under the table top). If you want a solid, well-designed, easy to use and functional portable router table, the Bench Dog ProTop is hard to beat.